New Love
by Sarah Clack
Summary: Victor and Victoria are faced with a daunting task, dreaded and feared from the moment they finished their vows: "finalizing" their marriage. Will they accept the fact that it must be done, or will their fears turn them away?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: Hello, everybody! This one took quite a long time, and I have to say I'm pretty proud of it. I do have to warn you-chapter 5 does get a little "grown up", but it's nothing you've never read before. Without further ado, I bring you "New Love"! Enjoy!_

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Victoria's eyes were wide with shock.

"Like I said before, Victoria, just...close your eyes and think of something pleasant," her mother Maudeline said stiffly as she inspected the young woman in her bridal gown. She left the room quickly with a sniff.

Victoria could feel her heart plummet to the bottom of her stomach. She felt a hand on her elbow, and turned to see her maid Hildegarde.

The old woman noticed her fear. "Victoria, dearie, don't you worry about what your mother said. Quickly, sit down and I will really explain what she meant. It's not a bad thing at all."

Victoria sat at her vanity, gulping.

"Now, Victoria, lovemaking is something special between a man and a woman," Hildegarde said, patting Victoria's hand gently.

"How on earth can something like _that _be special?!" Victoria blurted, terrified.

"Calm down, dearest, calm down. It may seem scary at first, but you have to remember-you care very much for Victor. Right?"

Victoria couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of her fiancee. "Yes...yes, I do care for him, ever so much." She paused for a moment. "I suppose...you could even say I love him," she added in a whisper.

"Good," said Hildegarde. "Lovemaking is called lovemaking for a reason. And to be honest, it _feels_ nice. Just wait. I know you trust Victor and love him with all your heart, so you have to remember that and it will be just fine."

Victoria was rather shocked at how unabashed Hildegarde was on this subject. She figured that she had talked to her own children about this, and it simply didn't embarrass her anymore. _It makes sense, _she thought. _I suppose lovemaking __**is **__a natural thing. _

Hildegarde motioned for Victoria to get up and hurry out the door. She gave her hand a squeeze as they left the Everglot manor and got into the carriage.

Once the thought of Victor entered Victoria's mind, she felt much calmer and happier.


	2. Chapter 2

Victor fidgeted with his tie wildly as his father William patted him on the shoulder.

"You'll be alright, son, it's a perfectly fine and natural thing for married couples to do," William said with a wink.

"Father, what do you mean_ natural_?!" Victor practically shouted. "T-that's absolutely h-horrifying! I c-can't do that, Victoria will hate me!"

"No, no, calm down, son," William reassured, placing his hands on Victor's arms to keep him grounded. "She's not going to hate you, I can guarantee you that!"

Victor stared at his smirking father and shook his head, terrified. He turned back to the washroom mirror and ran a hand through his hair while giving his tie a final adjustment.

"If you'll excuse me, F-father, I h-have to get to the c-church," Victor stuttered nervously. He turned and headed out the door, toward the stairs.

"Well, wait for me, Victor! You haven't forgotten your mother and I will be attending the wedding, have you?" William called after him.

Victor ignored him as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He stopped and took a deep breath. _Calm down, _he thought. _Calm down. Think of Victoria. This is your wedding day. Think of how beautiful she's going to be. _

The last thought set Victor's mind both at ease and worry at the same time.


	3. Chapter 3

Luckily for Victor and Victoria, the pesky thought in their brains had nearly left them as the ceremony and reception finished up. Everything had gone according to plan and they were both extremely happy to finally be married. Only now, as they climbed inside the carriage and waved goodbye to their families as they headed off to their honeymoon cottage, did the thought reappear.

The newlywed Van Dorts sat in awkward silence as the carriage sped down toward the English countryside. They were seated next to each other with their hands just barely touching. Victoria breathed deeply as she glanced at her hand so nearly under Victor's. She focused on him. Her eyes traveled up his arm to his nervous face and she smiled a little, biting her lip in slight worry. She wriggled her hand a bit, so she could caress Victor's hand with her thumb, and moved closer to him.

Victor tensed up at the feeling of her thumb on his hand, but then slowly relaxed. _Be calm, _he reminded himself._ Focus on Victoria. Everything is going to be okay. _

He turned his hand over so he could hold hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He spoke up. "A-are you okay, V-victoria, dear?" he whispered.

"Yes...um, yes, I suppose I'm alright. Are you?" Victoria asked back timidly.

"I-I think s-so. B-but...I can tell w-we're worrying."

"About...tonight?"

"Yes...about t-tonight."

Victoria sighed and looked Victor in the eye. "I'm scared, to be quite honest."

Victor nodded in understandment and agreement.

"But the thing is," she continued, "why are we afraid? I was told it's a natural thing for married people to do. My mother also told me it is beneficial if...if we ever want to have children."

"I-I don't know why we're afraid," Victor said. "I can't exactly find a way to explain it."

They paused for a while, sitting in silence again.

Suddenly, they spoke up again at the same time: "But I _do_ love you."

Victor and Victoria caught each other's gaze when they said that, and they both blushed and smiled.

"Do you really love me?" Victoria asked breathlessly, taking Victor's other hand.

"Yes, of course! And do you love me as well?"

"Yes, Victor, oh, I do!"

The two softly embraced each other in innocent bliss. As they drew back, they stopped when they were merely inches apart. Victor turned Victoria up to face him, looking ever so lovingly into her eyes, and asked with his own eyes if he could kiss her. She nodded. Victor smiled and slowly leaned down, his lips so close to touching hers, when the carriage jolted to a sudden and harsh stop, sending Victor flying sideways out of his seat and onto the floor. Victoria fell backwards and nearly hit her head on the side wall of the carriage.

"Oh! Are you alright?" Victoria asked Victor as she offered him a hand.

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you? Goodness, that was unexpected," Victor responded as he got up.

The door of the carriage opened and Victor stepped out first, then helped Victoria. The carriage driver, who sent Victor an apologetic look for the sudden stop, grabbed the newlyweds' suitcases and carried them into the cottage. Victor and Victoria stopped to notice the little structure they would be calling home for the next two weeks.

It was a small house built of old, rounded brick with vines crawling up to the windowsills and flowers all around the perimeter. It had a thatched roof that had been weathered slightly over the years. The little house looked overall extremely cozy and nice to the both of them.

Victor and Victoria looked at each other and smiled.

"The house is so lovely, isn't it?" Victoria asked.

"It really is!" Victor replied happily. There was the smallest twinge of uneasiness in his voice.

The two walked to the front door of the cottage. Victoria stopped and turned to face Victor.

She looked at him and simply smiled.

"W-what is it?" Victor asked.

"Aren't you going to carry me over the threshold?" inquired Victoria sweetly.

"Oh! Yes, if you would like me to...t-that is a t-thing m-married people d-do, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is...Victor, are you alright?"

"I'm fine...just a little chilly." Victoria could tell he was uneasy about what was to happen later. His uneasiness made her uneasy.

"Anyway," Victor continued. He approached Victoria timidly and placed a hand on her back. Bending at the knees, he swept her into his arms as he pulled her up at the back of her own knees. She laughed as he turned to her and smiled crookedly. Victor carefully stepped through the door, left open by the carriage driver, and set Victoria down.

"Thank you, Mr. Van Dort," she said, still smiling.

"Always welcome, Mrs. Van Dort." The uneasiness was beginning to wear off for Victor now, but he had the feeling it would be back later.


	4. Chapter 4

The newlywed Van Dorts had spent part of the afternoon exploring the cottage and all its rooms. It had one bedroom (and they weren't too surprised about that), a small yet well-furnished sitting room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. For the rest of the afternoon and through the evening, they simply sat and talked on the couch. Before they knew it, the sky had grown dark and the moon was shining in through the open window. Victoria turned to the small table next to her to light a lamp so they could see better. She wiggled closer to Victor, who placed his arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on his chest as they talked, listening to his steady breathing and heartbeat. She could go on doing so for hours.

After a while, Victoria started to yawn and rub her eyes.

"Victor...um, I think we should be getting to...to bed," she said quietly. The feeling had returned.

"Oh..." was all poor Victor could manage to say.

Victoria started to tremble a little bit. "Victor...I'm scared..." she whispered, genuinely sounding so. Victor looked at her and could see tears in her eyes.

_Oh, no, she's even more terrified than I am,_ he mused. He gasped at the sight of his wife so upset and wrapped his arms around her.

"Victoria, love, I'm scared too...but...you heard what our parents said...it h-has to be done, even if we don't want it to h-happen. B-but it can't be _so_ bad, can it? They wouldn't tell us to do something that was bad for us, would they?" Victor brushed the tears away from her cheeks softly with his thumbs.

Victoria sniffed. "Well, I suppose if you put it that way..." She was rather astonished at how much calmer and less worried Victor seemed as he comforted her.

"And always, always remember this," he coninued. "No matter what happens, I love you, and I always will."

Those words caused Victoria to break into a huge smile. "Oh, Victor...I love you too!"

With that, she nearly toppled him over with a tight hug. When they broke apart, they looked at one another and finally their lips met in a gentle first kiss. The kiss was sweet and simple, and incredibly loving. Perfect for the newly married couple.

Victor and Victoria had seemed to have opened their minds to what love could be with that one single kiss. The single kiss soon turned into many more, each one sweeter than the next. They softly pressed their hands together, then took them apart and gently touched each other's faces. When they broke apart to breathe, Victor wrapped his arms around Victoria's waist and drew her in close. She threw her arms around his neck and whispered into that spot between his neck and shoulder, her voice drowning in the fabric of his suit.

"I'm so happy. I love you!"

Victor placed a hand on the back of her head and kissed her passionately.


	5. Chapter 5

As the sky grew darker and the Van Dorts sleepier, they finally decided to go to bed.

They approached the door of their bedroom timidly. After a time, Victor opened it, and stepped inside.

Noticing their suitcases and remembering their pajamas were still inside, the two reached a dilemma.

"Where...where are we supposed to...u-undress?" Victoria asked as she lit a lamp on the nightstand.

"I-I don't know...I think w-we're to...u-undress in...in front of each other," Victor replied quietly.

"What? Oh...oh, my..." Victoria's cheeks were bright red.

"If you want me to, darling, I can go put on my nightclothes e-elsewhere," Victor suggested.

"No, no...I mean, w-we should probably do it i-in the same room. To get used to it."

"Oh...alright. I-if you wish."

Victor opened his suitcase and pulled out his pajamas, which were a standard blue top and bottom with piping on it. He set them on the bed and nervously glanced at Victoria as he took off his jacket. _Well, there's no harm in her seeing my in my shirt and vest,_ he thought. He loosened his tie and took that off, and then undid his vest. He glanced at her again and noticed she was watching him with large eyes and a blushed face. For some strange reason completely unknown to him, her amazement very nearly made him laugh. He bit his lip to be sure he didn't laugh as he started to undo his shirt. He undid all the buttons and slid the garment off, leaving his upper half completely exposed to his wife.

Victoria's eyes grew larger at the sight of Victor's bare chest. She had never seen this much skin before in her life, and she figured the amount of skin that would be shown was going to increase. Strangely, she was rather _interested_ at looking at Victor half-undressed. His chest looked more toned than she had imagined, and his skin was the same milk-white as his sweet face was.

She looked down at her lap breathlessly for a moment, then turned back to Victor.

He undid his trousers and took them off, leaving himself in his drawers. Victoria's eyes traveled from his face down to his feet, where she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

"What is it?" Victor asked as he looked at his feet. "Oh."

His shoes and socks were still on.

He looked back and Victoria, who was about to burst laughing. Seeing her smile made him chuckle as he bent over to remove what was left of his necessary clothes.

Victoria stood up from the end of the bed and laced her fingers together. "Well...I-I suppose it's my turn now?" There was still a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I suppose so, yes," Victor replied. Undressing in front of her went much better than he had expected it to. It seemed natural, which reassured him immensely.

Victoria nodded and took her nightgown out of her suitcase, then took a moment to decide what to take off first. She went with removing her veil. She carefully removed the golden crown from her bun, wrapping the gauzy material around it as she set it down on the vanity table near her. Then, she took the pins out of her hair and shook it loose, letting it flow down to her shoulders. She looked up at Victor as she slowly began to undo the buttons on the high collar of her wedding dress.

Victor didn't exactly know what to do with his hands, so he placed them behind his back awkwardly as he watched Victoria undress. The grip he held on each of his hands tightened slightly as Victoria nearly finished undoing her bodice. She took it off, laying it on the chair at the vanity table, and began taking off her skirt and petticoats. Soon she was left in nothing but her corset, drawers, stockings and boots. She undid the laces on those and kicked them off. Blushing wildly in her underwear, she looked down at the floor.

"What do you think of me?" she asked softly.

Victor was bright red in the face now. "Oh...Victoria, you're...y-you're beautiful," he whispered.

She looked up at Victor and smiled a little.

Victoria really was beautiful-her corset's lace-edged neckline showed off her neck and collarbone and framed her bosom in a very lovely way (that last thought made Victor blush internally), and her drawers showed off her nice, rounded calves. Victor noticed she had very tiny and rather cute feet.

"Yes, darling, you are immensely beautiful. What do _you_ think of _me_?" Victor asked.

"I think you're so terribly handsome," Victoria nearly blurted in response.

The two shared a minute of silence while they simply observed each other's bodies.

Soon Victoria spoke up. "Hold me," she whispered.

"What?"

"Hold me, please...I-I feel like as if I'm going to burst apart. I'm so happy for some reason. Why am I so happy?"

"Because we're in love," Victor replied as he approached her and apprehensively pulled her in close.

"Yes, that's it. We're in love."

They were both warm and the feeling of having that much skin touching was exhilarating. Victor slowly traced his fingers over Victoria's upper back as he held her, and Victoria laid her head upon his chest as she held her hand against it. She looked up at Victor and smiled, then stood up on tiptoe for another kiss. When she was back down on her feet, she spoke a little louder:

"Victor, we still haven't fully revealed ourselves to each other. A-aren't we supposed to?"

"I think so...are you...c-comfortable with that?"

"To be quite honest, I...I actually think I am. Are you?" Victoria couldn't believe herself.

"I believe so."

They sent each other half-excited, half-terrified smiles.

Victor made a suggestion. "Well...p-perhaps to get a little more familiar and c-comfortable with each other, what if...w-we undressed...each other?"

"Oh, um...I s-suppose that would be alright..." Victoria said softly.

"Okay...d-do you want me to start?"

"Y-yes, please."

This surprised Victor. Nonetheless, Victoria took his hand and set at the top of her corset so he could undo the hooks. Victor's fingers brushed her chest as he started to remove the corset from her body. One by one, he separated the hooks and eyes, revealing more of Victoria's body as he went. Victoria let the corset fall to the floor, blushing, leaving her upper half bare. Victor was mesmerized at her figure. A rounded, full, firm bosom, an impeccably tiny waist. Victor definitely wasn't scared or nervous anymore.

"Oh, Victoria...you really are just _b-beautiful_," he whispered, gently touching her waist.

"Am I really?" she whispered back. She was all smiles. Quite frankly, being partially naked in front of her husband was _thrilling!_ She felt all tingly inside and was strangely excited. Victoria tugged on the drawstring of her drawers and pushed those to the floor, too, as well as her stockings.

Now she was completely nude, in front of her new husband, in their bedroom.

_Oh my goodness!_ she thought. _I feel so odd, but...it feels right!_

Victor was now as red as a tomato. He looked her up and down, and then walked around her and observed her backside.

_My goodness, Victoria actually has a very...cute bottom. Wait a minute, did I really just think that?!_ he mused absentmindedly.

"N-now may I see you?" Victoria asked.

"Oh...oh, right. O-of course," said Victor as he undid his own drawers and let them slide to the floor.

Victoria's eyes popped and she gasped as a hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled. "I think I understand what we're s-supposed to do now!"

"A-am I frightening you at all, Victoria? Do I need to put my clothes back on?" Victor asked, noticing her expression and reaching tentatively for his trousers.

"N-no, no, that's okay...I was just...caught by surprise, that's all."

"Alright. So...what do you want to do now?"

"S-shall we get into bed? I'm actually kind of cold now."

"Sure, we can do that. Would you like me to help you into your nightgown, Victoria?"

"That's alright, Victor...I don't think we'll be needing pajamas. Thank you, though."

Victoria turned and got into her side of the bed, getting comfortable under the blankets. Victor climbed in next to her, and they snuggled in closer for warmth.

Victor reached tentatively for Victoria's hand. Slipping it into his own, he asked her a question:

"Victoria...m-may I touch you?"

"Oh...i-if you want to, yes...in fact, that would actually be very nice."

Victor propped himself up on his elbows and gently laid his fingers at Victoria's waist, slowly moving them up to her chest and back down again. Her skin was soft and warm.

Victoria's whispering breath shuddered as Victor touched her. It just felt so _good_. She couldn't help it.

Gently, Victor took her hand and opened it, kissing her palm ever so softly. Then he began kissing her wrist and all the way up her arm, to her neck. He caressed her waist with his other hand, leaning halfway over her. Victoria was all smiles.

Victor detached himself from her neck and grinned, moving a stray bit of hair away from her lovely face.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Oh, and I love you," she replied. "I love you so very, very much..."

This last word was slurred as she pulled him down and kissed him passionately, enveloping him in her arms. A pleasant shiver went through her body as the kiss intensified.

Soon they were no longer relying on what they had been told by their parents, but by their own love, instinct and passion. Every touch they gave each other electrified them, and every kiss nearly made each of them swoon.

Their arms were entwined about each other and their lips were coming together and parting nonstop as Victor moved himself overtop of Victoria, being careful not to squish her at all with his body. She moaned softly as she felt his skin against hers. It was incredible.

Victor was feeling considerably different now. He softly broke away from kissing Victoria and looked at her.

"Victoria...do you see what I have to do now?" he asked her breathlessly.

"Yes...oh. Yes, I understand now," she replied.

"D-do you want me to?"

There was a pause.

"Yes."

They exchanged a quick glance before Victor grabbed her hand to reassure the both of them and nodded.

"Alright," he said. "H-here I go, then..."


	6. Chapter 6

_A quick note: the last line Victoria says is a quote from "Two For the Road", one of my very favorite movies. I thought it worked well for these two._

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Their minds were blank and fuzzy as they separated. Victor rolled off of Victoria and landed next to her. They were both breathing very heavily.

"Wow...what were we afraid of?" Victoria sighed as she turned to Victor and smiled.

"I really don't know," he replied. "That was wonderful." He took her hand again and kissed it.

Victoria moved closer to him and he wrapped her in his arms. Turning up to face him, she kissed the end of his nose and giggled. "I love you," she whispered.

"Oh, and do I love you," he returned.

As they lay there in the dark bedroom, shielded from the world under their blankets and sheltering each other with their bodies and heat, Victor and Victoria realized that they really had no need to worry about anything. They had gotten to know each other better, both physically and emotionally as the day went on. Above all, they had made their love for each other even stronger. Before they snuggled in more and closed their eyes to go to sleep, they kissed and voiced their love for each other one last time.

"Good night, Victoria...I'm so glad to finally be married to you. I love you," whispered Victor.

"Good night. I'm so happy, I'm so happy...I love you, too. And I'll always love you, always, _always_, no matter what," Victoria replied tiredly.

With that, the newlywed Van Dorts fell asleep in each other's arms and dreamt of joyful things to come in their life together.


End file.
